


play it like a game

by thir13enth



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, background hilclaude, even more background edelclaude, honestly i didn't even know how to relationship tag this, it's like hilda and edelgard as exes ok, that's all i wanted to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:13:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22902238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thir13enth/pseuds/thir13enth
Summary: Frankly, she's jealous.
Relationships: Hilda Valentine Goneril/Edelgard von Hresvelg
Comments: 17
Kudos: 93
Collections: FE Femslash February 2020





	play it like a game

**Author's Note:**

> the potential of hildagard took me like a storm.
> 
> also written for **fefemslash february prompt:** flame (as in, old flame, if you will)

Edelgard is only three sips into her tea before her peace is interrupted by two familiar voices not too far off in the distance from her — in fact, just around the bushes.

Not that Edelgard has ever minded chatter, but she originally intended to calm her mind and the prospect of overhearing conversation isn’t going to help her curiosity. And it doesn’t help that the ones talking are Claude and Hilda, either. Those two had some of the most engaging and amusing discussions in the Academy.

Edelgard takes another sip of her drink, staring straight ahead at the other surrounding bushes lest she get caught listening in. Well, at least she stands short — sitting at this outdoor table makes her nearly impossible to spot behind the tall bushes, and neither Claude nor Hilda have the height perspective to make up for it.

“You really think we’ll have coconut cake tonight for dessert?” Claude asks.

“Oh, I _know_ we’ll have coconut cake,” Hilda assures him. Edelgard can almost _see_ Hilda flipping some hair from her right pigtail back behind her shoulder. “I told my _favorite_ sous chef about how I had this _delicious_ coconut cake when I was seven years old, and how I never forgot the face of the boy that gave it to me. It was such a _moving_ moment to me.”

“I suppose we’ll see how _moving_ your story was then,” Claude replies, with a small chuckle.

Hilda hasn’t changed at all, has she? Always able to skillfully persuade how to get anyone to do anything… without them even realizing it! Of course, that’s fun when she’s helping you get _your_ errands done — not so fun when you were the one helping _get_ the errands done.

And Edelgard’s been on both sides. She remembers when she used to do every bidding for the slightest bit of Hilda’s attention. All the times she’d go out of her way to get the chance for a hug — maybe even a kiss on the cheek — from a pretty girl…

But those were different times, when expectations were only as high as how tall they stood and when the only burdens they carried were no heavier than their training axes.

Those were the times when Hilda cared less about what people thought about her. Hilda didn’t care to paint her nails or tie her hair up in fashionable knots back then. Back then, she was trying to blend into Holst’s shadow, not confident enough to bring attention to herself just yet.

Edelgard remembers how Holst was always dragging Hilda into their axe sessions, but as much as Hilda let on that she was absolute shit at fighting, she was an absolute goddess on the training field. Edelgard remembers that one time during practice when she attempted to thwart Hilda off with an undercut swing, only for Hilda to elegantly catch her blade with the tooth of her axe. A few swift movements after, Edelgard found herself thrown to the ground, Hilda coming forth and pinning her down, a self-satisfied smile on her lips.

She might have kissed her just then and there.

It was better that they never actually kissed until two months later. Hilda and Edelgard never dated for that long, but to this day, those were the most passionate five months Edelgard has ever experienced. Of course, Edelgard hasn’t quite kissed anyone or held hands with anyone since then but Edelgard doesn’t think she’ll ever feel that same intensity of lust and tension — peppered with hidden rivalry, competition, and need for dominance — ever again.

They end their relationship with an argument, seal it off with sex. Edelgard never meets Hilda’s eyes again. Hilda acts like she never met Edelgard before in her life. And Hilda is great at pretending.

Edelgard doesn’t have the time or energy to think about revenge but seeing Hilda in the midst capturing other people’s hearts around the Academy — whether for favors or for brief affirmations — makes Edelgard’s heart burn with dark jealousy. So much so that one day after spotting Hilda tug Claude’s cape — something Hilda used to do with _her_ — she got so frustrated and spent the rest of the day in a bad mood. Hubert _almost_ gets the truth out of her.

Fortunately, Edelgard had enough self-control to not mention a word of it to her retainer. Hilda would absolutely not have made it through the rest of the academic year with that fake smile over her face if Hubert knew anything about it. Hilda, of the two, was definitely stronger, but Hubert’s loyalty and love for vengeance withstood even death.

“Ah, Princess!” Claude remarks suddenly.

Edelgard almost spits out her drink. How did he—

She whips her head in his direction, immediately spotting a small crack in the leaves of the bushes, at the other end, Claude’s amber eye. His eyebrow raises at her in jest, then he quickly whisks out of sight, turning around the corner to meet Edelgard on her side of the bush.

“Were you out here spying on us?” he teases, stepping forward until he can lean against the back of the chair across the table from her.

Edelgard forces a quick regain of her composure, setting down her tea. A soft clink when the cup hits the plate. “Oh, it appears I’ve been caught,” she replies in feigned surprise, crossing her leg over the other. “I best be on my way to report to my house on the intel I overhead regarding tonight’s dinner menu.”

She sneaks a glance at Hilda. Hilda, as ever, does not look at her, her eyes intentionally staying on Claude and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Don’t forget to mention that the vegetables will be cooked with a new spice combination today — so they might actually be worth trying tonight,” he adds.

“Will do.”

Claude gives her a slight nod to the empty space around her. “But it’s fancy seeing you here — and by yourself, no less,” he says. “Unless—" And he leans to the side, as if checking behind her. “—nope! No Hubert, after all.”

Edelgard smiles. “As omnipresent as Hubert seems, he does need time and space for himself. This just happens to be one of those moments.”

“How unlucky for me, then,” Claude replies. “I never seem to catch alone time with you, Princess. And the _one time_ Hubert is not here, I have my _dearest Hilda_ at my side.”

Hilda finally snaps. “Well, you can go right ahead and talk to her now, can’t you?” Hilda suggests. “At least while _I’m_ around we can be sure Edelgard won’t try to force you to cut a strategy next week for the Battle of the Eagle and Lion.”

To this, Claude says nothing, stays staring at Edelgard as if to catch reaction. Edelgard doesn’t move her eyes from his, holding a calm and collected expression.

“It must be nice to have a very strong and protective companion,” Edelgard says coolly, taking her teacup and raising it to her lips. “Frankly, I’m jealous.”

“Oh, you don’t give Hubert enough credit, I think,” Claude says. He sits back, unlocking his eyes from her. Only then, does Edelgard tilt her head back to take the last sips of her now lukewarm tea. “At least Hubert can get things done.”

“Arguably, Hilda does the same — she just chooses not to dirty her own hands,” Edelgard replies, setting down her teacup. She does her best to not look Hilda’s way. “Same results. Different methods.”

Claude’s eyebrow raises. “Well, if you really like Hilda all that much, maybe we can switch for a day.”

Hilda does _not_ like this idea. Edelgard doesn’t even need to see the disguised scowl Hilda has at the corner of her pink-glossed lips to know it.

“ _Claude_ ,” Hilda retorts. “How rude! You can’t just trade me off like produce!”

Edelgard knows that Claude would never actually consider this. Claude is chasing Hilda as fast as she is chasing him — but they run in circles around each other, busy occupied with the cheap leisure of maybe-romance rather than the emotional burdens of commitment.

Claude doesn’t miss a beat. “She’s right. That would be unkind and very unfair of me to do so. I should spare you the spoiled apple or else the rest of your barrel will go rotten,” he tells Edelgard. “If I give you Hilda, she’ll decrease your House’s productivity by at least 250 percent. She can barely get up out of bed without someone else doing it for her!”

Huh. It’s an interesting comment to make, especially given he was given no prompt about the bed.

“I guess I have plenty to be thankful for, then — at least I’m not spending my mornings getting Hubert out of bed.” Edelgard simply replies, before adding, “Although, I’m sure as you know, Hilda’s rather good at getting _into_ bed.”

At this, Hilda snaps her head over to glare at Edelgard. Edelgard lets her meet her eyes briefly, then returns to look at Claude.

Claude picks up on this silent exchange.

“Sounds like _you_ would know a little something about that, wouldn’t you?”

“Who, me?” Edelgard asks, feigning ignorance. “About what?”

“Yes, you, Princess,” he presses, with a grin. “About getting to bed.”

Unintimidated, Edelgard shrugs, giving him a coy smile.

“Oh, I’m no pillow princess,” she assures him. “I at least put effort into it.”

**Author's Note:**

> okay, fair. i don't know what happened in this story either, and i was the one that wrote it.
> 
> yell at me about your hildagard, hilclaude, edelclaude, and/or hiledelclaude feels: [twitter](https://www.twitter.com/napsbeforesleep)


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